3 behavioural changes driving consumer expectations
Technology is an enabler and an amplifier of human behaviour. It’s not a cure for bad behaviour. If agents don’t get the human connection right and offer excellent, professional and client focused service, great technology won’t save them.
Technology increases our capability, so we can achieve more in less time. In turn, increased capability changes our behaviour; once we recognise it is more efficient to use technology, we come to rely on it and our behaviour changes. Once behavioural change occurs, our expectations change. And changed expectations become the platform from which new technologies are born.
1. Micro-moments
Google has identified the rise of the “micro- moment”, which is defined as “a digital reflex” that is the intersection between mobile and consumer behaviour.
Micro-moments occur when we use what was previously down time – such as sitting on public transport, waiting in a queue, having a coffee – to do something useful. According to Google, 90 per cent of smartphone users use their phone to make progress towards a long term goal while out and about. This includes buying a house, a car or even completing a degree.
2. Instant skilling vs concierge treatment
One of Apple’s biggest influences on modern life has been to deliver devices and solutions that don’t require a manual. This has given rise to the behaviour identified as “instant skilling”, which is the desire by consumers to use new solutions intuitively straight out of the box. Behaviourally, we are impatient with the need to take the time to learn new things. This has led to the rise of short videos as learning tools, and the importance of quality user experiences online where the consumer is at the centre. Get this wrong and consumers will simply walk away.
In areas that are extremely complicated or have multiple steps, concierge treatment is required allowing consumers to connect (ideally with a real human being), receive help instantly and be guided through the process.
3. Social sharing
Sharing an article of interest with friends on Facebook, posting out links on Twitter or sharing a job ad on LinkedIn are all examples of social sharing. We’re all “content curators”, but that doesn’t mean we’re all good at it.
Share good content that is useful, thoughtful and targeted at the right people, and your profile rises. However, the reverse is also true. Post poor quality content that’s rife with self-promotion, difficult to understand or slow to load, and your social profile is debited.
Developing a strong social profile is important because it ties directly to your offline profile and is credited as a factor in why many vendors only call in one or two agents to interview before selecting who to list with.